2 dead, 11 hurt after portion of BGC building collapses

ACCIDENT. A portion of The Suite collapses. Photo by Josh Albelda/Rappler

Based on initial reports, part of the building collapsed while concrete was being poured on the upper floors, say authorities

MANILA, Philippines  – Two people were killed and 11 others were injured after a portion of a building under construction in Taguig City collapsed on Wednesday, February 4, reports said.

Taguig City fire marshal chief Inspector Juanito Maslang said that the two workers died after being crushed by debris from the collapsed portion of The Suite building, currently under construction at the corner of 5th Avenue and 28th Street at Bonifacio Global City.

The incident occurred around 8:20 am.

Maslang said that authorities from national agencies and the city government are now on site to check for possible safety lapses and violations.

The 63-residential tower is a project of Ayala Land Premier.

It will consist of 284 residential suites and is intended to be a mixed-use development, with space for local and multinational companies, according to its project profile.

Based on initial police reports, part of the building collapsed while concrete was being poured on the upper floors.

Police are currently conducting investigations at the construction site.

The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines-Nagkaisa blamed the Department of Labor and Employment and the Taguig City government for not ensuring incidents like this would be avoided.

"This workplace incident could have been minimized and prevented if they only performed their job particularly in conducting inspections regularly before and after issuing building and construction permits," Alan Tanjusay, spokesperson of TUCP, said in a statement.

"Government officials must ensure that building owners and contractors are aware of the rules and protocols in the construction of high-rise buildings particularly the DOLE’s Department Order 13 requirement checklist before issuing any permit," he said.

The requirements include construction safety and health programs, personal protective equipment, safety personnel, emergency occupational safety and health personnel and facilities, construction safety signages, safety on construction heavy equipment, construction safety and health committee, safety and health information, construction safety and health training, construction safety and health reports, and workers’ welfare facilities, TUCP said. – Rappler.com

Bill strengthening NLRC operations approved

The House Committee on Labor and Employment has reported out for floor deliberation a measure strengthening the operations of the National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC) to enhance the just and expeditious resolution of labor disputes.

House Bill 5306, which substituted House Bill 3837 authored by Rep. Karlo Alexei B. Nograles, amends Articles 213 and 215 of Presidential Decree No. 442, as amended, otherwise known as the Labor Code of the Philippines. It was co-authored by TUCP Party-list Rep. Raymond Democrito C. Mendoza.

The bill promotes the expeditious resolution of labor cases filed at the NLRC by providing the agency with more flexibility in the management of its manpower.

For one, it increases from a maximum of three to five the number of Commission Attorneys that can be assigned to the Office of the NLRC Chairman and each commissioner. The Commission Attorneys are the ones who assist the NLRC in its appellate and adjudicatory functions.

The bill also removes the provision that prohibits the Labor Arbiter from performing the work of the Commission Attorney or from being assigned to the office of any Commissioner.

Likewise, the bill eliminates the provision that restricts Labor Arbiters from holding office in the region where they reside.

According to Nograles, who chairs the House Committee on Labor and Employment, "labor relations is a very dynamic field of endeavor, thus, labor relations clime could change drastically and in a fast pace, dictated as it is by economic developments or situations in the industry, region, country and the world as well."

"Because of such realities, agencies with mandates related to management of labor relations such as the NLRC must be endowed with such degree of flexibility as to immediately adapt to varying industrial relations scenarios," Nograles said. - Media Relations Service-PRIB

TUCP blames DOLE for Taguig worksite mishap

Another construction site accident happened in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City, killing two workers and injuring several others.

MANILA, Philippines - Labor group Trade Union Congress of the Philippines-Nagkaisa (TUCP-Nagkaisa) on Wednesday blamed the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) for the accident at a construction site in Taguig City, which resulted to the deaths of two workers.

Several others were also injured after the scaffoldings collapsed at the construction site of The Suites Hotel at the Bonifacio High Street, Taguig City.

"Officials of the Department of Labor and Employment and the Taguig City officials are obviously sleeping on the job. This workplace incident could have been minimized and prevented if they only performed their job particularly in conducting inspections regularly before and after issuing building and construction permits.

"Halatang halata na natutulog sa pansitan ang mga tao tagapag-patupad ng mga batas at alintuntunin sa construction," said Alan Tanjusay, spokesperson of TUCP and policy advocacy officer of the Associated Labor Unions, the largest labor federation in the country.

He said that government officials must ensure that building owners and contractors are aware of the rules and protocols in the construction of high-rise buildings particularly the DOLE's Order 13 requirement checklist before issuing any permit.

These measures include the construction safety and health programs, personal protective equipment, safety personnel, emergency occupational safety and health personnel and facilities among others.

Tanjusay said building owners and contractors must also comply with the DOLE Rule 1414 on Scaffoldings of the 1989 Occupational Health and Safety Standards which put the responsibility of the erection, installation and dismantling of scaffolds to a highly trained competent person called scaffold erector.

The erector is certified by the Technical Skills Development Authority and employed by every project managers and owners of any construction projects.

The rules now requires workers on scaffoldings to be provided with fall arrest, fall protection and fall restrain harnesses to protect workers in the event of accidents and limits the use of bamboo scaffolds to painting and light construction work setting the maximum height allowed at six meters, Tanjusay added.

Tanjusay said the rules also require the materials used as scaffolds are quality tested by Department of Trade and Industry accredited testing institutions and not intermixed with other scaffolds materials in installing scaffoldings. - By Dennis Carcamo (philstar.com)

Garcia, 4 Cebu district reps wary of BBL

CEBU -- Four of nine district lawmakers from Cebu City and Province expressed support Monday for suspending deliberations on the draft Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL).

While the four congressmen said they all support the search for peace in Mindanao, they also said the more urgent task now is to get to the bottom of what happened last January 25 in Mamasapano, Maguindanao, where 44 elite policemen died in pursuit of a terrorist.

“I support the peace process. However, I have reservations on the BBL on constitutional grounds,” said Representative Joseph Ace Durano (Cebu Province, fifth district). “With the massacre of our SAF (Special Action Force) men, I have reservations now as well as on the sincerity and ability of the MILF to be a partner of the Philippine Government in bringing about lasting peace in Mindanao.”

Durano said he is keeping an open mind and hopes that the investigation will address all reservations about the BBL.

Questions

Former House deputy speaker Pablo Garcia, however, said that passing the BBL would be an exercise in futility.

He told the Senate hearing on the constitutional issues of the draft Bangsamoro law that the proposal is “palpably and incorrigibly unconstitutional.”

Among the questions raised against the BBL is that it would grant the Bangsamoro greater powers than those allowed the two autonomous regions identified in the 1987 Constitution, namely, the Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao and the Cordillera Administrative Region.

Among others, Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago has also pointed out that a parliamentary government for the Bangsamoro cannot be created, while the rest of the country remains under a presidential form of government.

“The inconvenient yet fundamental and compelling truth,” Garcia said, “is that unless and until the Constitution is amended or revised by the Filipino people, Congress cannot, I’m sure, enact the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law.”




‘Elementary justice’

Interviewed separately, Representative Benhur Salimbangon (Cebu Province, fourth district) said he, too, agreed with suspending deliberations on the BBL, until the country gets a clearer picture of what happened in Mamasapano.

“I join our fellow Filipinos in condemning the killing of our policemen,” Salimbangon said.

Representative Rodrigo Abellanosa (Cebu City, south) said that before the massacre in Mamasapano, he already saw that the BBL had too many objectionable provisions.

“The massacre of our law enforcers has enraged millions of Filipinos. It is now our collective mandate, not just of the lawmakers, to assume a keen, incisive and even a contemptuous attitude to the peace efforts proffered by the BBL proposal,” Abellanosa said.

What’s important, said Representative Gerald Anthony Gullas Jr. (Cebu Province, first district), is that the rule of law must be upheld.

“We must remember that our lost heroes were there to enforce the rule of law and they were the very people who swore to keep peace. If we cannot commit to elementary justice, then we cannot commit to lasting peace,” Gullas said.

As of press time, district Representatives Gwendolyn Garcia, Wilfredo Caminero and Luis Gabriel Quisumbing had yet to respond to requests for their comments.

Assurance

Two other Cebuanos in Congress who represent party-list organizations also weighed in on the discussion.

Representative Raymond Democrito Mendoza said that TUCP Party-List remains committed to the search for peace in Mindanao.

“We are also committed to justice for the SAF 44. We will ensure that the BBL conforms to our Constitution and national laws. If we don’t work for peace now, the alternative will be another vicious form of warfare, such as that waged by ISIS,” Mendoza said.

According to initial reports, the skirmish last January 25 involved not only the SAF operatives against MILF troops, but also members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), a breakaway organization that has previously expressed support for ISIS.

Representative Francisco Ashley Acedillo of Magdalo party-list said that the government should secure a commitment from the MILF that in case of future encounters with the BIFF or Abu Sayyaf, the MILF would order their fighters to disengage, whether it’s the police or the military that’s involved.

“The President must demand this from the MILF leadership,” Acedillo said.

“As commander-in-chief, President Aquino must share both in the successes and achievements of his troops, as well as with their failures and losses. Sadly in Mamasapano, it is the latter that he must bear as well,” said Acedillo, who served in the Air Force. - By Elias O. Baquero(With Sunnex/Sun.Star Cebu)